Sam Stone

Sat 10 December 2022 15:10, UK

Rodrigo has been in sensational form for Leeds United in the 2022/23 season, with the 31-year-old currently having nine Premier League goals to his name.

In fact, the Spanish striker can count himself very unlucky not to have been involved in Luis Enrique’s squad for the World Cup, a decision which has clearly backfired as Spain were knocked out by Morocco and the former Barcelona manager losing his job.

Rodrigo’s contract at Elland Road expires in the summer of 2024 and considering his age and the money he earns, there’s certainly some speculation surrounding his future. He currently earns £100,000-per-week and is the club’s highest-paid player (The Times, 26 Aug 2020).

TEAMtalk suggest (8 December) the club are reluctant to open talks with the Spaniard due to his age and current earnings, and that could well lead Leeds to look for a new long-term striker in the upcoming January window.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has suggested (6 November) that Leeds would need to fork out £15million for Atletico Madrid striker and long-term target Matheus Cunha. By not committing to a contract extension for Rodrigo, it could give the club more leeway when looking for a new forward.

The need for a new attacker has also been heightened due to Patrick Bamford’s poor form, with the Englishman failing to hit the back of the net in the 2022/23 season.

There have been a number of strikers linked to Elland Road over the course of the past year, and with Bamford ageing and misfiring and Rodrigo not being a long-term project, there could well be a lot of movement in the next couple of transfer windows.

For now, Jesse Marsch will be desperate for the Spaniard to continue his impressive form in the second half of the campaign, with a relegation battle still very much a possibility for Leeds.

In other Leeds United news, Victor Orta will be thrilled as a £40million-plus target has made history in the World Cup.